The disabled as a potential IT workforce

The disabled as a potential IT workforce

By
 Hooi You Ching

We often hear of technology for the disabled. But what of technology by the disabled?

While the public and private sectors continue to preach the gospel of K-economy, the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) and the broad appeal of the Internet,
the underlying truth suggests a less enlightening scenario. Under all that hi-tech evangelism is an industry's anxiety of high staff turnover and an acute
shortage of skilled technology workers.

Unfortunately when it comes to recruitment, employers tend to look the other way if the job candidate is a person with disability. Top of the charts in
the IT job market include vacancies for software developers, programmers, web designers, database and system administrators, graphic artists and system
analysts. But sadly, disabled employees are not a smash hit with IT companies.

Tan Boon Kiat has six years of experience in computer programming. After he finished his Form Six, he took up several positions as a technical assistant
and an assistant programmer, including a job as a computer instructor at the Gurney Training Centre for the blind. But they were all short stints, lasting
from three months to a year. The longest was three years, a job he is currently employed in. His responsibility? He mans the switchboards, routinely answers
the unceasing flood of calls and transfers the connections with a well-rehearsed performance on the PABX and also maintaining the call-tracking system.
Such is the sad reality of a talent gone to waste. You see, Tan who works as a telephone operator in a commercial bank, is blind.

Using the Clipper 5.2 programming language which runs on a DOS platform, the 26-year-old Tan has managed to produce an impressive software portfolio. Since
Clipper is a computer language primarily used in database programming, his forte lies in the field of database management systems.

His database projects include an eye donor list for the Malaysian Association for the Blind, Hospis, walk-a-ton for TAR College, data entry program for
Society of the Blind, a direct appeal and receipt system for the Malaysian Association for the Blind that compiles and keeps track of company reports and
financial records, directory and franking system for Coopers and Lybrand (now PriceWaterhouse Coopers) and a disbursement system for Total Express and
Document Storage (TEDS).

Says Tan, "As a blind person, I'm aware of my own limitations. IT is an area that involves a lot of support work and trouble-shooting. For someone who is
sight-impaired, this may be a problem since the job requires me to move frequently from one PC to another.

"And if you were to look at the equipment I have to use, I need to bring along the Apollo II speech device that helps to translate text input into sound
wherever I go. Besides that, I've to search for an extra plug-point to power it. But of course, with the latest Windows-based speech recognition systems,
I'm able to work on applications with the help of built-in sound cards.

"Unfortunately, most office PCs are not equipped with a sound card as management consider these peripherals to be more for entertainment purposes."

Tan lost his sight when he was 19 after two surgeries to operate his glaucoma failed. He admits finding it tough to cope with the pace of technology which
keeps changing so rapidly. He accepts the fact that without proper academic qualification, his basic knowledge in Clipper would not take him far in the
job market.

Tan Boon Kiat
Tan types faster than you could say Indiana Jones

"Nowadays, software houses are unlikely to hire someone who only knows the Clipper programming language as they prefer applicants with experience in more
advanced programming languages like Visual Basic and JavaScript," Tan sighs.

Tan, who looked immaculate during the interview in a blue-striped shirt and black pants complete with a pair of pilot sunglasses, is never one to idle his
time. He makes an effort to hone his skills with a sense of optimism that would put to shame even the average programmer.

And to prove that Clipper is not a dull database programming tool, he developed several fun and interesting games including a puzzle, a computer version
of the popular gameshow Lingo and a virtual musical keyboard.

"All it takes is a little creativity. Programming is still the best. I learnt how to use Clipper while doing a project on a contract basis for Mesiniaga
and IBM. There were four of us in the team but I'm the only keen user left. Technology has improved my life 100%. With scanners, I can read text except
graphics," says Tan who dislikes anything that involves memory-work but instead thrives on analytical thinking.

So to a great extent, technological advances in speech programmes for the visually-impaired like Window eyes, JAWS and Hal 95 have given a new lease of
life to the visually-impaired.

But Tan also explains how technology can be a boon as well as a bane for the disabled, especially for the blind. As technology advances, it usually ignores
the welfare of the disabled community. Take for instance the ATM machine. The good old-fashioned machines where the keys were prominent are now making
way for touch-screen machines which are not friendly to the visually disabled.

Nevertheless, Tan sees opportunities at every corner and believes that companies should stop being prejudiced and take the initiative to hire more disabled
employees into their workforce.

However, Wong Yoon Loong, 34, is less optimistic.

"IT is an enabling tool for the blind in the sense it can make one a better teacher, administrator, lecturer or a better telephone operator. But we must
also remember that IT is normally delivered through a computer, which is very visuals-centric. We must also bear in mind that the lack of basic education
and vocational training among the blind remains a major obstacle to gain knowledge.

The Windows operating system, by far the most widely used, is a case in point.

"With the advent of Windows-based application which uses a graphical user interface, the blind have no choice but to relearn new concepts. And compared
to the DOS-platform which was more user-friendly to the blind, the Windows is a complex system that involves a lot of images and icons," says Wong who
is blind and works for the Malaysian Association of the Blind (MAB).

And like it or not, the blind according to Wong, a communication and IT director, must adapt to the changes in IT and face future challenges head-on. For
this purpose, an IT centre was set up by MAB in 1991 where trainees are taught basic literacy courses such as word processing and database entry. So far,
more than 100 have graduated from the IT centre and found employment although not in IT-related areas.

It may seem a long way ahead for the blind before employers will accept and acknowledge the former's capabilities in the IT world.

Moses Choo, the administration and IT manager of Total Express and Document Storage (TEDS) who has developed software for telephone exchanges believes there
are roles that the blind can play in the IT sector.

"A blind person who is proficient in computer software can become a system analyst. As long as he understands how a system works, assuming he has some basic
computer knowledge, he then needs to put a requirement to the software according to the system's specification," explains Choo who is also blind.

For these visually-disabled Malaysians, they look forward to the day when their skills will be fully tapped not only as end-users but also in the development
stage.

A good example was when 120 blind persons from the Society of the Blind was engaged by eVmail Technology to test their voice-recognition software called
DECtalk. The feedback allowed the company to identify flaws and make improvements.

And let us not forget. Many of such software are not only of use to the visually-impaired but are meant for a wider audience. Increasingly, computer users
are looking for more ways to interact with the programs than just using the keyboard. Voice-activated commands and voice-to-text software could play a
critical role in the next wave.
Untapped skills

Out of an estimate 2.4 million who found a job in the past 10 years, only 3,523 were recruited in the private sector.

No one knows exactly how many disabled people there are in Malaysia but a rule of thumb puts the figure at 1% of the total population. What this means is
that going by these figures, only a small fraction of the disabled community have found meaningful employment.

Why the pathetic numbers? Jobstreet.com marketing communications executive Chong See Ming explains that companies are often not keen to take on the extra
operational costs incurred in hiring persons with disabilities.

In fact, they sometimes even hire less-qualified workers just to keep their bottomline healthy.

According to Chong, JobStreet.com has been involved in placing jobs for disabled persons before although mainly in the manufacturing or production sector.

"Through our HR Internet Forum which is a mailing list subscribed by
1200 HR practitioners, we try to match the jobs for suitable applicants. So far, job placements for the disabled are mainly in the manufacturing or production
area.

"Job criterias are on a case-to-case basis. The visually-impaired would probably have a different set of skills from the hearing-impaired as well as considering
the scope and requirement of the available jobs," says Chong.

Says senior librarian Bathmavathi Krishnan who is a paraplegic, there are many misperceptions about people with disabilities.

Bathmavathi
Bathmavathi using the electronic stair lift at her workplace.

"Most employers are reluctant to employ the disabled because of concerns regarding safety regulations, the need to modify premises such as installing ramps,
disabled-friendly toilets and extra medical costs," says Bathmavathi who is fortunate to work in an office with disabled-friendly facilities such as elevated
ramps, toilets for the disabled and an electronic stair lift that was fixed 12 years ago.

But not all employers feel that way. For MIMOS Bhd, the R&D government corporation firmly believes that an employee with disability should be given equal
opportunities to develop his or her skills, provided the worker has suitable qualifications and right work attitude.

MIMOS web lab manager Mariah Abdul Rahman speaks positively of her co-worker Aqlam Jafri, an IT researcher who is deaf, describing him as an excellent worker
who takes his job seriously.

"We seek people who can think, create ideas and finally turn the ideas into innovative solutions. Physical appearance is not the criterion. We value a person's
knowledge and his or her willingness to learn," says Mariah.

She adds that ICT has helped to break communication barriers, saying that "there are a lot of technologies that can emulate the human's senses."

But no matter how sophisticated the slew of hi-tech communications like email, chat, ICQ and SMS may be, sometimes the best form of communication is really
quite natural. In this case, for Aqlam, it's the sign language.

"We are also taking sign language lessons from Aqlam. Being supportive is an important ingredient in teamwork. As a manager, it is a challenge to find ways
on how to turn his disability into a strength," Mariah says.

She cites prejudice and the fear of uncertainty among employers as the main reasons why people with disabilities find it difficult to seek employment. "The
employer feels uncertain as to how to treat the disabled. Should they be treated in a different way from the rest? How can they communicate with the rest?
Do they need special equipment and facilities?"

These are valid questions no doubt. But without the proper exposure and experience that come with a job opportunity, it seems almost impossible for the
disabled to develop marketable skills. Caught in a vicious cycle, the disabled always end up victims of circumstances.
Opportunities in IT

That information technology is a vibrant and dynamic force is common knowledge. New concepts and innovative ideas are formulated on a regular basis. Pioneering
trends such as teleworking have redefined the workplace where technological advances and the advent of the Internet have enabled folks to work from home
or outside the traditional office premises.

Says NITC secretariat programme director A. Jayanath, "Teleworking is increasingly becoming an employment mode and option that can be used by people with
disabilities. Jobs such as programmers, data processors, researchers, designers and publishers can be done by people with disabilities provided the appropriate
equipment and software is available."

"The emerging world is one of increasing electronic interactions, be it in the economic, social or political spheres. The convergence of information and
communications technologies has made this possible. The greatest impact of ICT will be on where people live and how they choose to work. As ICT makes physical
distance less and less relevant, it opens up more and more opportunities for people with disabilities. People with disabilities do not have to be physically
mobile. They need to be on the "information highway" to undertake meaningful jobs.

"The technology offers people with disabilities the opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills, be it basic ICT literacy and computer skills or advanced
computer and technology applications.

"The future for people with disabilities is bright provided all the relevant parties, including the person with the disability are willing to see challenges
as opportunities, and not as problems. Knowledge and skills can be acquired but ultimately it is the attitude that counts," says Jayanath.
Valuable experience

Abilitynet.com director of operations David Banes believes that investment to tap the expertise of disabled persons in IT makes more than just economic
sense, adding that current technologies and social perceptions (in the west, at least) have resulted in a better educated and skilled disabled manpower.

"Many people with a disability bring a life experience to the post which is valuable beyond their technical skills," says Banes in an email interview from
the US.

With such interactive technologies like the Internet, explains Banes, greater possibilities are opened to the disabled, whether it is starting a new career,
keeping an old job or simply leading a better quality of life.

"We have to distinguish between technology for those with a disability which slightly lags behind other applications as it does not have the same R & D
budgets as in other fields and keeping abreast of technology per se.

"Even then, there are some real concerns that alternative access to equipment like Interactive TV or WAP phones is at a very early stage of development
and this could cause major problems for those with even mild disabilities," says Banes whose younger brother has cerebral palsy.

"After we have assessed a client, we usually aim to offer a range of solutions to a challenge - high tech and low tech as this safeguards the independence
of the client in using the technology. An obvious example would be Voice technology both to dictate and to hear e-mails read out - these help anyone reduce
the risk of pain through RSI (repetitive stress injury) or eye strain.

So, in today's technological era, are there more job opportunities today for the disabled in the IT field?

Says Banes: "There are, but some employers feel they are taking a risk with people with a disability. Employers need to be aware of the potential of this
valuable labour force and the reasonable adjustments they can make to successfully employ people.

"AbilityNet works with both individuals to empower them, but also with the corporate sector through training and awareness to encourage planning for a diverse
workforce, which makes the very best use of the skills of all of the team members." 

According to the director of rehabilitation division in the National Unity and Social Development ministry Md Rashid bin Ismail, basic computer courses
were introduced early this year to train the physically-handicapped at several rehabilitation centres.

At the Bangi Industrial Training & Rehabilitation Centre for the physically handicapped, for instance, 40 trainees have graduated in computer and secretarial
courses, computer maintenance, electronic and electrical and IT-based fashion design courses. The duration of the courses range from 6 months to 18 months.

"The ministry recently had a dialogue with several HR managers from the private sector where the latter visited the Bangi centre. They were impressed with
the skills of some of the trainees and have expressed interest in recruiting them," said Md Rashid, adding that some of the trainees already had basic
qualification but enrolled in the computer courses the centres for self-development.

According to NITC secretariat programme director A. Jayanath, persons with disabilities face similar obstacles to employment in the IT sector as non-disabled
individuals.

"The primary obstacle is still the lack of knowledge and skills, for example knowledge in a specialised field and basic Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) skills. With respect to ICT skills, a substantial number of Malaysians can be considered to be "unemployable" when it comes to employment in the
emerging information – cum – knowledge economy.

"Apart from mobility, sight, hearing or other impairments, people with disabilities face the additional obstacle of affordability such as the financial
resources to purchase and use specialised ICT equipment and software. In this regard the public, private and community sectors can contribute meaningfully
through focused programmes in ICT education and training for people with disabilities," says Jayanath.

The National Information Technology Council (NITC) under the Demonstrator Applications Grant Scheme (DAGS) has initiated projects in this field of ICT education
for people with disabilities. For example, NITC and the Malaysian Federation of the Deaf have begun a project called E-Pek@k to enable 3500 people with
hearing disability to master ICT skills.

"Similar efforts can be taken by the private sector together with the relevant associations that cater for the interests of people with disabilities, thus
enabling them to become "employable" in the IT sector," stresses Jayanath, " what is important is for all of us to recognise that people with disabilities
are a 'untapped human resource'. Focus on the human capital not the disability."  

Disabled as a potential workforce